The auto industry is in the midst of a major shift toward connectivity and computerization. So quite naturally, the world of aftermarket auto products is following—as we’re seeing from this year’s SEMA, the world’s largest aftermarket trade show currently underway. While performance still rules SEMA, the focus is slowly turning from items like high-flow carburetors to mobile electronic technology, ranging from Bluetooth-activated rearview cameras to computer aids that alleviate time-consuming mechanical work.
Among the devices winning top honors at SEMA’s annual Product Showcase awards, here’s what caught our attention.
Pearl Automation RearVision
The company founded by three ex-Apple engineers won top honors in the mobile electronics category for its easy-to-install aftermarket rearview camera. To install the Pearl Automation RearVision system, screw the camera frame around the vehicle’s rear license plate and plug a “dongle” adapter into the vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostics port. Two cameras in the license frame send wireless signal’s to the driver’s cell phone that displays modified wide angle images when the driver shifts into reverse. One of the cameras operates in daylight, while the second utilizes infrared signals for enhanced night vision. Engineers modified the distorted fish-eye lens image in each camera to display less confusing straight-line images on the phone, reducing driver distraction. See other aftermarket rearview cameras now available on eBay.
Voxx Electronics Advent Blind Spot Detection System
Winning second place in mobile electronics, Voxx Electronics Corporation’s blind spot detection system enables car owners to retrofit vehicles with valuable active safety technology in cost-effective manner. As with systems built by automakers, Voxx’s product works only with the ignition on and the vehicle traveling at speeds over 20 miles per hour. A solid LED light indicates that an adjacent vehicle is in the blind-spot area. If the driver signals for a lane change, the LED flashes and a buzzer warns the driver to stay in the existing lane until the lane is free.
“Any Level Lift” Remote Adjustable Suspension
Truck owners thinking about doing a lift need to check out this hydraulically-actuated system that operates by remote control. It took top honors as SEMA’s best engineered new product category. The system offers 13-inches of ride height adjustability with insignificant changes to the wheelbase. A Panhard mechanism keeps the body of the truck centered over the axles and maintains steering alignment. Variable lift suspension makes it easy—right from a smartphone app—to lower the truck for driving through a car wash, accessing areas under the hood, or loading up the back.
FAST Valve Timing Control for Ford Coyote Engines
COMP Performance Group won first place in the performance-street product category for its SRP radius rocker arms for GM LS1 and LS3 engines. The valve timing control device for Ford’s modular V-8 engines was runner up. The FAST timing control module enables the vehicle’s ECM to control the position of the engine’s four camshafts, maintaining the powerband allowed by the phaseable cam system. If you want maximum valve overlap without killing your vehicle’s idle quality and fuel economy, the FAST timing control module allows that to happen. Best of all, no more need to open up the engine to adjust camshaft position.
AutoMeter F-150 Dash Control OBD II Display Controller
Think of it as telematics in a box. AutoMeter’s F-150 dash control display controller uses the vehicle’s existing driver information center in the gauge cluster to monitor an expanded roster of the vehicle’s performance parameters. The device plugs into the truck’s OBD port, enabling the user to customize the type of data and when it is displayed.
